4  Publishing Your Dataset

4.1 Creating and Editing the README

To start documenting your dataset for publication, you first need to set up a README file.

4.1.1 Initialize the README

In your R console, within the project directory, run the following command to create a README file:

setup_readme()

If you want to include an example article for your package, you can use this command instead:

setup_readme(has_example = TRUE)

4.1.2 Editing the README

Locate the README.Rmd file in your project directory and open it. Edit each section of the README to provide relevant information about your package. Typical sections include:

  • Package Name and Brief Description
  • Installation Instructions
  • Basic Usage
  • Features
  • Example

4.1.3 Creating a Data Visualization

In the “Example” section of your README, it’s helpful to include at least one plot that showcases your data. For instance, using ggplot2, you could create a plot like this (adapt it to fit your specific data):

library(ggplot2)
library(yourpackagename)

ggplot(your_data, aes(x = variable1, y = variable2)) +
  geom_point() +
  theme_minimal() +
  labs(title = "Example Plot from YourPackageName")

4.1.4 Building the README

Once you’ve completed editing the README, convert it to a Markdown file by running:

devtools::build_readme()

This will generate a README.md file, which GitHub displays on your repository’s main page.

4.1.5 Updating GitHub

After building the README, go to the “Git” tab in RStudio. Stage the newly created or modified README files, commit them with a message such as “Add and update README,” and push the changes to GitHub.

4.2 Setting Up the Package Website

To enhance your package’s accessibility, you can create a website for it.

4.2.1 Initializing the Website

Run the following command in your R console:

setup_website()

When prompted, choose “No” to prevent overwriting the existing _pkgdown.yml file. This preserves the styling for your website.

4.2.2 Document, Check, and Install the Package

Ensure your package is up-to-date by running the following commands:

devtools::document()
devtools::check()
devtools::install()

These commands generate the latest documentation, check the package for issues, and install it locally.

4.2.3 Preparing for GitHub Pages

To host the package website on GitHub Pages, you first need to make sure Git tracks the necessary files. Open the .gitignore file in your project directory, find the line that says docs, and remove it. Save the file to allow the docs/ folder to be tracked by Git.

4.2.4 Updating GitHub with Website Files

Go to the “Git” tab in RStudio. You should now see new files in the docs/ folder and the updated .gitignore file. Stage these changes, commit them with a message like “Add pkgdown website files,” and push the updates to GitHub.

4.2.5 Setting Up GitHub Pages

To activate the website, open your GitHub repository in a web browser. Go to “Settings” > “Pages.” Under “Source,” select the branch where your docs/ folder resides (usually “main” or “master”) and set the folder to /docs. Finally, click “Save.”

Your package website will now be live at https://yourusername.github.io/yourrepositoryname/.

Remember, if you make significant changes to your package or documentation, you may need to rebuild the website by running pkgdown::build_site() and pushing the updated docs/ folder to GitHub.